No fun this past week. I went to check in with the Stem Cell Transplant Doctor at Tulane University Hospital downtown. When I was seen, I had a temperature of 100.8 and my blood counts were extremely low. So after we finished the initial consult, they sent me to East Jefferson General Hospital where I was getting all my chemo treatments before to check in for infection and low blood counts. Needless to say I spent Mardi Gras in a hospital room. I was in the hospital from Thursday 02/06 to Wednesday 02/13. I had a fever that went up to 103.1 and a possible staph infection in my port that they treated the whole time with antibiotics then sent me home with antibiotics to hook up and flush through my port. I see the doctor Wednesday and will see when my next chemo will take be done, and then most probably the stem cell transplant process will begin immediately following this next chemo, so the real fun, I mean the hard road, is about to begin.

Thanks again for your support and many thoughts and prayers!

To next time!

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My Lymphoma Blog and Updates:

Thinking of you and praying for you and your family! So sorry to hear about the infection and hospital stay. Just remember to take one moment at a time and you will get through this. God Bless!

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Admitted to Tulane University Hospital, in Downtown New Orleans, yesterday, here for my second cycle of DHAP, salvage, chemo. I am currently getting my chemo, Cisplatin, that will drip for 24 hours. Then I will get another drug that will drip for 2 hours, wait 12 hours, and then drip it for 2 additional hours. I will be done all that Sunday morning. I will then be kept here to Monday when I will have a central line catheter placed for the collection of stem cells through a dialysis type of machine in about a week to a week and a half. I will also start a growth factor to cause my body to produce more stem cells that needed so they overflow into my blood so they can be collected through the dialysis type of procedure ranging anywhere from 1 to 3 days.

Just another update! Wish me well!

Thanks again for all your thoughts and prayers, and words of encouragement! Its nice to come back here and find continued support time after time. I am fighting the fight, and not going to give up, I can promise you that!

In the words of Chumbawumba,
"I get knocked, down but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down
I get knocked, down but I get up again"

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My Lymphoma Blog and Updates:

Crikey there will only be your oil left to change I do wish you well you know that.

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http://tinyurl.com/bqqrvx

HEY MAN, I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR BLOG AND IT APPEARS YOU HAVE AN ENORMOUS APPETITE, A DOZEN BURGERS?
DAMN WE MISS YOU ON OUR SERVERS. CPTKILZALL AND I HAVE BEEN DOING OUR BEST TO DRAW PLAYERS ON THE MDRN WPN SERVER.
WE TALKED AND PLAYED ON THE SERVER WITH LITTLE AMP AND THE KID AIN'T A KID NO MORE! HE'S 12YRS OLD AND HIS VOICE IS SO DIFFERENT AND CRACKS ALL THE TIME
F8 EVEN WENT TO STEAM AND BOUGHT THE COD2 SO HE COULD JOIN US. JOBBONES COMES IN OCCASIONALLY AND I DIE EZE SNIPES FROM THE HIGHEST POINT(damn camper)
HURRY UP AND GET THIS MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK AND COME IN AND PLAY!!!!!

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I can't imagine the toll all the treatment must have on your body and your daily lives. Good luck and be strong.

I don't give up! The treatment can be tolling, especially unexpected week stays in the hospital, and plenty of needle sticks! At least I know the CRNAs for some Lidocane to numb up the area before the big sticks! I'm a fighter, I'll keep on fighting...

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My Lymphoma Blog and Updates:

Yes you will my friend,yes you wii.

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I responded to a client who asked me how I was doing and if there was anything he could do for me, part of my response is as follows: "I am doing pretty good. This chemo regimen of rituximab that they currently have me on is only once every third week and it goes after the CD30 markers that the lymphoma cells have that I have attaches itself to the marker and causes the cells death. This mainly leaves the rest of my bodys cells alone, so the side effects are not as great as the other chemos. They don’t even give me any antinausea medicine or steroids before giving me the infusion which goes to show how little it messes with the other processes of the body. So I got 3 cycles of this, so in 7 or 8 weeks I should be ready to have another PET scan which will hopefully show that everything is in remission and then we can jump into the Stem Cell Transplant. If not in remission they may give me a few more cycles of this chemo first, depending on what they feel is best."

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Hang in there big guy, we're praying for you my friend.

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I am hanging in there! Tomorrow, Friday, is Chemo #3 Cycle #3.

I have another PET Scan Wednesday, May 8th, and find out the results Thursday, May 9th.

I will know on May 9th when I am looking to start the 2 month Stem Cell Transplant Process in the hospital...

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A lovely picture of me waiting for my chemo

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My Lymphoma Blog and Updates:

Your are a stud!"NO HOMO"God bless you my friend.

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So I had my Doctor's visit, and all is looking good, almost time to start the Stem Cell Transplant

Text from My POST.

05/09/2013: PET Scan Results from 05/08/2013:

She then starts going through the results. My neck has completely cleared up, nothing has been found in my neck. She then sees that the two tumors in my chest have very low activity. She would like to see no activity, but compared to the PET scan in January, both tumors are in the process of dying and she is ready to move on with the Stem Cell Transplant. However, she wants to get my eye cleared up first and get my cough and congestion taken care of today too. I tell her that I have an ENT appointment tomorrow for 9AM, so she is happy to hear that. Melissa tells me to call her on Tuesday and let her know how I am feeling. If everything is looking better then that means that I will be looking to start the Stem Cell Transplant next weekend, Saturday, May 18, 2013. So we shall see. Test Results ->http://craig.handsfreehelp.com/biopsy-results

Post this was taken from ->http://craig.handsfreehelp.com/chemo-type-3-cycle-3-12-dr-appointment-pet-scan-5-results

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My Lymphoma Blog and Updates:

sweet man!!!!!!!!!! keep it up!!!!!!

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